Top 14 of 2014

Can you believe 2015 is already here? The last 6 months have been a complete blur, I’ve been so busy. I accomplished so many things in 2014, including starting this blog, and I just wanted to reflect on some of my favorite finds that I have reviewed over the past year.

1.Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleansing System

Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleansing System

Good makeup starts with a good canvas, and the Clarisonic Mia has worked wonders on my skin. Before the Mia, my face was rough, irritated, and broken out all the time. The Mia brought new life to my complexion, exfoliating and smoothing the rough areas, cleansing deep enough to control breakouts (with the exception of the occasional hormonal variety), and leaving behind a nice, healthy glow that I haven’t seen in years.

While I do have oily skin, I occasionally end up with a few dry patches, especially during the winter months. Weleda skin food is the only thing I’ve ever used that has helped prevent those dry patches from popping up, and manages to completely conceal any existing dry areas under my makeup (likely from blowing my nose one too many times during a cold). It keeps my skin nice and hydrated and feeling super healthy.

Where has this been all my life? Seriously. I thought eye shadow meltdown was just a thing people dealt with and that maybe I was being a big baby about it. The oil in my skin has always caused my eye shadow to crease up pretty quickly. The summer months were the worst because sweat, oil, and eye shadow were constantly seeping into my eyes and burning the bajeezus out of them. Thanks to Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer, my days of suffering are over. It keeps the majority of my shadows from creasing all day long and running into my eye or onto my face. This one out-performs several other eye primers I’ve tried, and has more of a silky texture when you apply it rather than a gummy, tacky feel that I experienced with the others. The tube will also last for an eternity. I just bought my first full size after running out of my two sample sizes that lasted me nearly 10 months.

First off, I love the variety of shades and finishes in the Too Faced Pretty Rebel Eye Shadow Palette. I can do a simple neutral look or something vibrant and edgy, making this palette extremely versatile. These shadows are soft and buttery and have an intense color payoff. They are easy to work with and even the most basic look can be stunning. Out of the 43278943243 palettes I purchased this year, this is one of the few I keep coming back to time and time again.

I’ll be honest. I felt obligated to purchase this palette because I already own the other 3 Naked palettes. What kind of palette hoarder would I be if I left this one out? I had no idea I’d end up liking it as much as I did. The Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette has been a lifesaver when using palettes that just don’t have enough neutrals for me to complete a look. It has also been great to have during the holidays when I haven’t had the time to put much thought into my makeup. Just throw this on your face and you’ll look great. It’s the perfect combination of high-quality lights and darks, and Venus as a highlight is the perfect finish to pull it all together. I’m about to hit pan on a few of these, and I’m kinda sad about it.

Speaking of quality, the Lorac Pro Palette 2 takes the cake. These shadows are what dreams are made of. The formula is the same across the board-smooth and buttery for easy blending. The warm tones in these flatter my complexion perfectly and the variety of mattes and shimmers make it perfect for creating a well-balanced look. This is the palette I always take with me on vacation because I can create an endless amount of looks for any occasion. It’s easily my favorite out of all of the palettes I’ve tried this year.

As a rule, I have to promote the brand that made me stop hating lipstick. I became a bit of a Lipstick Queen addict this year, and Upper East from the Liptropolis collection was my favorite out of the several I tried. The color is a gorgeous coral pink that lies between sheer and opaque. It’s a nice little pop of color that goes with practically everything without looking overly dramatic. Given that I’m wearing it in 3 pictures in this post, I think it’s safe to say I love it.

I experimented with several different cosmetics from indie companies this year, and Portland Black Lipstick Company was one of the ones that really impressed me. This Corrosion was my favorite lipstick out of the handful that I tried because despite falling into the red category, it has a really unique rust tint to it that I don’t see often. It’s incredibly vibrant and brings out a lot of great tones in my complexion that leave me glowing. In addition, it’s moisturizing and lasts for freaking ever.

I got a chance to try Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Liar when I purchased the Full Frontal Lipstick Stash. It’s a beautiful, opaque nude that is light enough to pull off a good neutral look, but dark enough to define my lips and balance out my face. I always run into the problem of nudes looking borderline trashy up next to my fair skin, but this one works perfectly. It’s hydrating, glides on smoothly, and easy to wear.

My blush collection is seriously out of control at this point, but the one I keep using on a daily basis is my Benefit Cosmetics CORALista blush. If you’ve been following my blog at all, you probably already know I’m a fan of the peach blushes. What makes this one really special is that it gives my skin an incredible glow without looking too shimmery. There is not a single blush I own (yet) that even remotely compares. I wait until the very end of my makeup routine to put this on, and my heart just flutters. So pretty.

Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Liner in #15-Iridescent Anthracite was the first liquid liner I ever used that I genuinely fell in love with. It has a slightly thicker consistency than most liquid liners I’ve used (likely from the microglitter), making it a good starter for those who struggle with liquid liner running all over the place. It comes in a huge variety of gorgeous colors, making it dang near impossible for me to decide which one I want to try next now that I’ve used this one up.

I never thought in a million years that this dinky little black eyeliner that came in one of my Ipsy bags would end up becoming something I couldn’t live without. While it isn’t the blackest liner on the planet, it is spectacular for tightlining and for using on the waterline. A lot of pencil liners I’ve tried are either so soft they crumble up in my eyelashes or so hard that they’re uncomfortable to use. This Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil is the perfect texture. I recently broke down and purchased a full size when my sample got too short to use because nothing I have works quite as well as this one.

NYX Cosmetics BB Cream in Nude does a nice job of smoothing out my skin and evening out the tone in my complexion. When worn under my makeup, it helps control oil and it feels very light on my skin. It has amazing coverage for a BB cream, making it perfect for those no-makeup days.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation is my first high-end foundation I’ve tried, and it did not disappoint. It has pretty decent coverage while still remaining incredibly lightweight on my skin. The color matches my skin perfectly and it has a nice, natural look to it. While it still has a few flaws, it is one of the best foundations I’ve tried so far.

Looking back at all of my posts from this year has been pretty interesting and exciting. I’ve improved in more areas than I realized and I can’t wait to learn and try more new things in 2015. Thanks for reading and have a happy new year!

Jae Burkett

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You know what’s weird? I discovered the Mat Velvet by MUFE when I was in Vegas for your wedding! I forgot my foundation and had to go to the Sephora across the strip from where we were stating. Well, “had to.” I could’ve gone to Walgreens, I guess. But I wouldn’t have been allowed in anywhere without something on my face. Point being, we have some weird connection when it comes to our preferences in all things.
I also second the LORAC palette. I can’t really wear cool tones, but the Rose color (ROSEEY- I can’t do special characters – I’m an ignorant American) is among my favorite of all time. It’s like UD Sin but much richer and more dynamic.
LORAC primer is the beeeest. Others are either too runny or too sticky and make my shadow look gritty and grainy, which is gross.
Coralista looks great on us Whitey McGees. Makes us less pasty. I keep trying others (I really like my Benefit blush palette that I got for Christmas) but Coralista remains my favorite. I recommend the lip color, too.
I’m anxious try to some of the lip colors. Lipstick Queen should release a cheap mini collection, in my opinion.
I just got a MUFE liner but it’s a different kind. I should try the one you recommend. I used to be so good at eyeliner (or so I thought) but a year or two ago it got so, so hard. I started trying brand after brand and settled on the LORAC, which is nice but not black enough for me. Then I sort of realized I have little wrinkles now, which is total bullshit. Anyway, excellent list.

You should see my review on the Lipstick Queen Three to Captivate set if you haven’t already. It’s a set of 3 lip crayons, but they’re super similar to 3 of the sheer Lipstick Queen lipsticks I already own. One crayon contains almost as much product as one lipstick. The set is $22 and most of their single lipsticks can range anywhere from $22-$25 unless you get the really expensive ones that are around $50, so it’s a really good deal.
I feel you on the aging. I’ve always had hell with eyeliner, and now that I’ve finally figured it out my eyelids are starting to get all hooded. So who knows how long that’s gonna last. And yeah, wrinkles. Hate.

Elizabeth

I need to pick that up. I think I have some decent points stored up at Ulta.
How did we get OLD?!